Anytime we can get a new voice from the boisterous, hyper-creative New Zealand comedy scene, consider it a great day for the genre.
“The Breaker Uppers” is the debut effort from comedic actresses Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek (who also star), a rom-com that looks to be as lucid and dry as the best work of Taika Waititi, who’s lent his name to the film as a presenter.
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The comedy, which won raves in its original debut in New Zealand, follows Sami and van Beek as friends who co-run a business that acts as a middle service for those inevitable breakups. It’s a fresh premise, and judging by the trailer, it’s one the two actresses, writers and directors are willing to push as far as possible to earn as many laughs as possible. The easy-going, go-for-broke style Waititi and so many others have patented from the NZ comedy scene rarely fails, so it’s exciting to see new voices spring up and have their time in the spotlight.
Our Oliver Lyttelton gave the film a B+ when he saw it at the London Film Festival and complimented the film’s main stewards, saying, “Most importantly of all: it’s funny. Really, really funny, consistently and constantly. The pair are a wonderful double-act on screen – Sami has to carry the bulk of the plot stuff and does so brilliantly, but van Beek is a crucial counterpart, the cynic to Mel’s romantic, and gets some of the film’s biggest laughs in her relationship with her larger-than-life mother.”
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This film is flying under the radar ahead of its February 15 stateside debut on Netflix, so don’t miss out on this if you need some post-Valentine’s Day laughs. Breakups stink in general, but this comedy sure does look like one that just might make the whole dreadful process worthwhile.
Here’s the synopsis:
Fifteen years ago, Mel and Jen discovered they were being two-timed by the same man. Bitter and cynical they became fast friends and formed The Breaker Upperers, a small-time business breaking up couples for cash. Now they’re in their late-thirties and business is booming. They’re a platonic, codependent couple who keep their cynicism alive by not getting emotionally involved with anybody else. But when they run into an old victim, Mel develops a conscience and their friendship is truly put to the test.